Welcome to Engage™, Lake County's citizen engagement portal!
A modern approach to citizen engagement suggests that some citizens appreciate the ability to interact with their local government in a digital environment, such as online access to services to; pay property taxes, research publicly available information, submit documents and forms, etc. That’s where Engage™ comes in!
Engage™ is intended to be an intuitive, user-friendly application. However, we know that some features of Engage™ could use a bit of guidance to be completely beneficial to you. This informative guide will serve to provide you with a bit more guidance, should you have a need. As well to the left, we are happy to provide you with a number of resources to assist you in your property assessment journey.
Thank you for visiting our website and for the opportunity to serve you and your needs.
Please contact us anytime - we are here to help!
News
Property Tax Assessment Board of Appeals (PTABOA)
The Property Tax Assessment Board of Appeals meeting location has been changed from the Lake County Training & Media Center to the Commissioners’ Courtroom, also located at the Government Center, 2293 N Main St, Crown Point, IN 46307, Building-A, 3rd Floor. The change in location is due to temporary displacement for ongoing renovation projects. Please contact our office at (219) 755-3100 or Assessor@lakecountyin.org if you have any further questions.
Each of the affected 2021 meetings are listed below:
January 27th
February 10th & 24th
March 10th & 24th
April 7th
Personal Property Online Portal – Indiana (PPOP-IN)
The Indiana Department of Local Government Finance (DLGF) has a new online service portal to file business personal property filings! This system will be available in January 2021. Please contact our office at (219) 755-3100 or Assessor@lakecountyin.org if you have any further questions. You may also visit the Department’s website for more information at https://www.in.gov/dlgf/7576.htm.
Revised Indiana Sales Disclosure Form (SDF)
The Indiana Department of Local Government Finance (DLGF) has revised the Sales Disclosure Form (State Form 46021), effective January 1, 2021. Please contact our office at (219) 755-3100 or Assessor@lakecountyin.org if you have any further questions. You may also visit the Department’s website to access the new forms or for more information at https://www.in.gov/dlgf/8294.htm.
Cyclical Reassessment
During statewide reassessments, county and township assessors physically inspect each property to ensure that records are correct. Approximately 25% of the parcels in each jurisdiction will be reassessed each year, over a four-year time frame.During a field inspection, personnel will attempt to make contact with the taxpayer to identify his/herself and explain their purpose for the visit. They will ask several questions to verify information about the interior of the property and request permission to inspect the exterior. If no one is home, personnel will proceed with their work, which includes an inspection of the front and rear of the property. When the inspection is complete, a door hanger will be left to inform the taxpayer that we were there. Photographs will also be taken during all inspections.
Each reassessment field inspector wears an ID badge and an identifying t-shirt or vest. If a taxpayer is uncertain about the identity of a representative, please contact the Lake County Assessor's Office at 219-755-3100 for verification.
Refer to the map for an approximate time frame when you can expect personnel will be in your area. The areas in white will be inspected this year.
For re-inspection schedules in Township jurisdictions, contact your Township Assessor's office.
Note: Lake County will not be issuing Form 11s for 20pay21; tax bills will serve as notice for all taxpayers.
2021 Inspection areas are outlined in red:
Appeals
IC 6-1.1-15-1.1
As a result of legislative changes that were passed in 2017, significant changes have been made to the appeal process.
Taxpayers wishing to contest their assessment must now do so on the State prescribed form, Form 130. Form 133, which
was previously used to contest assessments on objective grounds, has been eliminated. Taxpayers wishing to contest their
assessment on objective grounds (for example, a garage that has been removed or too much square footage) should now do
so using page 2 of Form 130. For further information, please visit the DLGF’s website at
http://www.in.gov/dlgf/ or contact our office directly.
The website has been updated to reflect 2020 assessed values (for taxes payable in 2021). The deadline to appeal is June 15th. Please feel free to contact us for additional information.
You may submit all appeal related documentation via email to assessor@lakecountyin.org
Property Tax Assessment Board of Appeals
Lake County has a 5 voting-member Board. The County Assessor serves as secretary and a non-voting member.Members
- David Wickland - President
- Robin Salzeider - Vice President
- Marty Wachel
- Samantha Steele
- Carly Brandenburg
- LaTonya Spearman - Secretary
2021 Meeting Dates
Meetings are held in the Lake County Training & Media Center, Room A-099 and begin at 9:30am.
Personal Property
Personal Property is a self-assessed valuation system whereby property owners are responsible for reporting all tangible personal property that is used in their trade or business, used for the production of income, or held as an investment that should be or is subject to depreciation for federal income tax purposes. Completed personal property returns are due on or before Monday, May 17, 2021.A penalty of twenty-five dollars ($25) applies for returns filed after May 17th. For returns not filed within thirty (30) days of the due date, an additional fee of twenty percent (20%) of the taxes payable will be assessed.
Pursuant to Indiana Code 6-1.1-3-7 (b), a county assessor MAY grant an extension of not more than thirty (30) days to file the taxpayer's return.
Personal Property Exemption
Personal Property exemption eligibility/notification SEA 233-2019
Beginning with the January 1, 2020 assessment date, the personal property exemption increases from $20,000 to $40,000. Personal property returns for eligible taxpayers (those whose total acquisition costs do not exceed $40,000) must include the following information:
- A declaration that the taxpayer's business property in the county is exempt from taxation;
- Whether the taxpayer's business personal property within the county is in one (1) location or multiple locations; and
- If the property is in multiple locations, the taxpayer must provide an address for the location where the sum of personal property acquisition costs is greatest.
Forms
Non-Profit
Indiana Code 6-1.1-10-16 describes the use and/or purpose necessary to become tax exempt. Charitable, educational, and religious organizations may be eligible for a tax exemption. An exemption must be timely filed or it will be deemed waived. Exemptions must be filed on or before April 1st of the tax year or of the pay year with the County Assessor.Non-Profit entities that meet the criteria for the less than $40,000 Personal Property Exemption are not required to file the certification. See the Personal Property tab.
Forms
Please Note: An exemption granted under IC 6-1.1-10 or any other statute supersedes this exemption. In other words, a taxpayer whose personal property is exempt because the taxpayer applied for and was granted an exemption by the county must follow all applicable procedures for the approved exemption, which may include fully completing the personal property return.
Inheritance
Inheritance tax in the State of Indiana was repealed for individuals who died after Dec. 31, 2012. No inheritance tax returns have to be prepared or filed. No tax has to be paid. In addition, no Consents to Transfer personal property or Notice of Intended Transfer of Checking Account are required for those dying after Dec. 31, 2012. However, for individuals who died before January 1, 2013, inheritance tax returns are still required for those that exceed their exemption amount.Effective April 1, 2016, all resident Indiana Inheritance Tax Returns (Form IH-6) for individuals who died prior to January 1, 2013 must be filed with the Indiana Department of Revenue, rather than the county courts.
For more information regarding the repeal of inheritance tax view the letter the Indiana Department of Revenue issued here, inheritance.pdf.
Forms
Please take note of the instructions regarding the forms below:
- Blank forms may be downloaded.
- Fillable PDFs will not save as populated under the "save" option. Once filled, they may be printed to a PDF under the "print" option.
- Fillable forms are to be printed, signed, and submitted to the Assessor's office.
Tax Bill Estimator
The Department of Local Government Finance (DLGF), in partnership with the Indiana Business Research Center (IBRC) at Indiana University, created the below tax bill projection tools for Indiana taxpayers. These tools will allow the taxpayer to enter their property's assessed value and possible deductions to see a range of tax bill estimates.
The estimates provided by these tools are projections only and should not be taken as a statement of true tax liability.
For a list of Taxing Districts (Number/Name) by Township, please see this listing made available by the DLGF.
Frequently Asked Questions
- On your Form 11
- On your property record card
- On your tax bill
- From the search bar on this website, enter your address
- Record cards can be searched, located and printed online through a parcel search by clicking here.
- The term "Improvement" simply refers to your house, structure or other improvements to the raw land. These are not necessarily improvements that have been added this year.
- Use the search bar to search public information for a property by address or parcel number
- You can also use the map to search. First type an address in the map search. From there click on any parcel and you will be directed to available information for that parcel Map
- Form 11 is an option for the Assessor and acts as a notice of assessment. Lake County does not currently issue Form 11s. Tax bills serve as the Notice of Assessment to all taxpayers.
- A physical inspection of the property is performed to ensure records are correct.
- Properties in Indiana are reassessed on a four-year cycle. One fourth of the county is reassessed each year. For more information visit - DLGF.
- Real property in Indiana is assessed at Market Value in Use. Distress sales such as tax, foreclosure, or short sales are typically not representative of Market Value.
- Assessed values fluctuate with the market. Valid sales provide a comprehensive indication of trends. An arm's length sale of a property is a significant factor in determining market trends, which may affect your assessed value.
- The Indiana Department of Local Government Finance (DLGF) offers an abundance of information regarding current legislation and tax policy. DLGF OVERVIEW
- Ratio Studies are conducted to ensure uniformity and equity of assessments in a mass appraisal system. For more information visit - DLGF
- Please see the first paragraph on the following webpage: Tax Bill 101
- Contact your County or Township Assessor for status on active appeals. - Contact Page
- A blank Form 130 can be accessed here Blank 130
- Search your parcel from the search bar. Click on your address for the property details. Under the "Forms" tab you can access a Form 130 that is populated with your parcel information.
- Your appeal form can be mailed or brought to the Assessor's office or submitted through this website.
- Several factors go into determining taxes once the property is assessed, including deductions, tax caps and fees.
- Assessed values are determined from a multitude of exterior and interior features. Properties that appear similar may have slightly different attributes that contribute to assessed value.
- For more information on property taxes visit - DLGF - Citizen's Guide to Property Tax.
- Assessed values reflect the market and are trended on an annual basis. Actual taxes can vary based on local approved tax rates, referendums, or individual circumstances.